How to encourage student participation in class
Basically, we all know that when the students are unwilling or reluctant to participate in the classroom activities ,teaching cannot go on and we teachers get frustrated. Just like Euripides says " learning is more effective when it is an active rather than a passive process ".
Getting the students involved in the class not only adds interest to a course, it also provides a way for us to promote active learning and asses understanding.While it's common for only a few people to speak up in a group ,there are plenty of simple ways to help break down this natural barrier and get our students participating. And below in this blog you will encounter some methods which may help you foster an environment where all students feel comfortable to participate in the classroom activities.
Ideally,the goal of increasing participation is not to have every student involved in the same way or at the same rate. Instead it is to create an environment in which all participants have the opportunity to learn and in which the class explores issues and ideas in depth from a variety of viewpoints .
It is of a great importance to set the tone in the class in order for them to know what do you expect from their participation ,if they will be graded ,if you allow cooperative learning or whether you allow their comments or questions throughout the class.It is also worth examining your body language to make sure you appear welcoming to questions .For example ,do not stay behind the podium while teaching ,because this sends the message that you don't want to be interrupted.
Every now and then divide the class in small groups and have them tackle a short problem together. Have the groups report orally in front of the class ,write their responses on the board and then discuss them together.
Learning their names will definitely amaze you on how much their participation will increase. Anonymity is a subtle drag on participation ,and students who feel more connected and their classmates and less anonymous will participate more.If you cannot manage to learn their names quickly enough ,have name placards and make sure they place them where you can see them.
It is also essential to know how to listen and responding appropriately to the students. Both verbal and nonverbal cues will either encourage them to participation or will intimidate them. Make eye contact with your students whilst they are speaking and also use eye contact to encourage the quiet students. You may also need to gently ask the talkative students ,who tend to dominate the class ,to hold occasionally in order to let others as well have an opportunity to speak.
A lot of effort to get students participate relies on us the trainer ,educator and teacher Make sure you set the tone and start your classes down the right path by using these techniques consistently. Although it may seem like extra effort ,the results will be worth it and once your class understands what you expect from them ,they will begin to participate regularly without any effort from your part .
Thank you !
Getting the students involved in the class not only adds interest to a course, it also provides a way for us to promote active learning and asses understanding.While it's common for only a few people to speak up in a group ,there are plenty of simple ways to help break down this natural barrier and get our students participating. And below in this blog you will encounter some methods which may help you foster an environment where all students feel comfortable to participate in the classroom activities.
Ideally,the goal of increasing participation is not to have every student involved in the same way or at the same rate. Instead it is to create an environment in which all participants have the opportunity to learn and in which the class explores issues and ideas in depth from a variety of viewpoints .
It is of a great importance to set the tone in the class in order for them to know what do you expect from their participation ,if they will be graded ,if you allow cooperative learning or whether you allow their comments or questions throughout the class.It is also worth examining your body language to make sure you appear welcoming to questions .For example ,do not stay behind the podium while teaching ,because this sends the message that you don't want to be interrupted.
Every now and then divide the class in small groups and have them tackle a short problem together. Have the groups report orally in front of the class ,write their responses on the board and then discuss them together.
Learning their names will definitely amaze you on how much their participation will increase. Anonymity is a subtle drag on participation ,and students who feel more connected and their classmates and less anonymous will participate more.If you cannot manage to learn their names quickly enough ,have name placards and make sure they place them where you can see them.
It is also essential to know how to listen and responding appropriately to the students. Both verbal and nonverbal cues will either encourage them to participation or will intimidate them. Make eye contact with your students whilst they are speaking and also use eye contact to encourage the quiet students. You may also need to gently ask the talkative students ,who tend to dominate the class ,to hold occasionally in order to let others as well have an opportunity to speak.
A lot of effort to get students participate relies on us the trainer ,educator and teacher Make sure you set the tone and start your classes down the right path by using these techniques consistently. Although it may seem like extra effort ,the results will be worth it and once your class understands what you expect from them ,they will begin to participate regularly without any effort from your part .
Thank you !
I really agree with what Europides has said.Yeah,I also think that not every students has to get involved in the same way or even at the same time.Learning students names could really help because that way they feel more connected to the class as well as to the teacher.Using both verbal and non verbal responses may increase students involvement in the classroom or discourage them to get involved.We should be very careful with the way we stay,speak,use gestures.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing with us this information.I liked it very much but what I liked most was the topic that you have chosen because is one of the things that we need to know as future teachers
ReplyDeletei enjoyed it bona .after reading this information i was reflecting on the importance of this process and how important is the role of the teacher in the classroom activities.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your topic it was a good post and a good example to make studwnts participate more in class.
ReplyDeleteIf all teachers would take profit of what you said about knowing your sts' names , I guess that students would feel more appreciated and that would make them involve more in the learning process.
ReplyDeleteI really like the quote you have included from Europides , it fits to your blog.
Thanks a lot !
The 'steps' that you have provided to us are very important. In my opinion, participation of students in classroom is the basic thing, if they don't participate, you better quit 😂 Good job!
ReplyDelete